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"The Ill-est Meal I've had since Christmas" - Ed Squires, dinner guest This post is actually all about rice. You see a lot of other dishes in the above photo, but rice is definitely the central point of any Indian meal. When you eat rice every day like in South-East Asia, it … [Read more...] about Basmati Chaaval (Perfect Basmati Rice): Madhur Jaffrey’s “Indian Cooking”

Dakshini Murgh Chicken with Roasted Coriander in an Almond Curry Sauce I decided to make a huge Indian dinner for friends. 10 people, 7 dishes, and 1 day of amazing smells, colours, textures and flavours. The menu: Dakshini Murgh (Southern Indian Chicken with Roasted Coriander … [Read more...] about Dakshini Murgh (Chicken with Roasted Coriander in an Almond Curry Sauce)

I wimped out. I wish I had a backbone. I went to St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and did a ton of shopping today. 4 kinds of dijon. Should definitely last more than a month this time. 8 Jerusalem artichokes, 8 duck legs, thyme, organic grapes, a cup of large black Italian olives … [Read more...] about To market, to market…

Distribution Alimentaire aubut 3975, rue Saint-Ambroise Montreal, QC This place makes me uneasy. It’s a big warehouse, open to the public, but mostly serving restaurants, caterers and other food service industry people. For the most part things come in bulk, like the huge … [Read more...] about Distribution Alimentaire Aubut

I knew it would happen. I forgot the duck fat. It’s sitting in my freezer in Montreal and I am sitting on a train. Looks like I’ll be rendering some duck fat in Toronto. Fortunately there’s a meat place in St. Lawrence Market that specializes in wild game, and they seem to be the … [Read more...] about Rendering Duck Fat

I'm going back to Toronto today! And of course, I have grand eating plans. To give you an idea what I'll be writing about for the next while, here's a list of the places I want to review. There's a running theme of what restaurants and neighbourhoods have changed, what food … [Read more...] about From Montreal With Love: A Gourmet Toronto Homecoming

Today I embark on a new adventure. I'm headed back to Toronto after an almost two-year absence. To mark the return I'm bring 4 cups of duck fat and a bottle of Été Indien port-like Quebec dessert wine. The plan is to make one glorious meal combining Quebec products and recipes … [Read more...] about From Montreal With Love: A Gourmet Toronto Homecoming

Today I'm going to fling noodles. Odds are it's going to be a disaster. That's why I made two balls of dough. One has a bit more water-egg combination, and the other is a bit dryer. One I kneaded by hand, one I did in my pasta maker. They are currently sitting on my kitchen … [Read more...] about I feel like I should have mopped the kitchen floor…

No, not "Dear kofta, how are you?" Yes, deer meatball wontons. At least the countries I fused are neighbours this time...if you pretend for a minute that deer roam freely in India or China...What do they think they are? Lambs? That's not the important part. The important part is … [Read more...] about Mildly Successful Asian Fusion: Kashmiri Deer Kofta Wontons

I bought these because I didn't know what they were. I say "more about topinambours", though, because it turns out I did know. Jerusalem Artichokes. They make one of my favourite soups. The ones I bought just looked different...they were clean, and smooth. I honestly had no idea … [Read more...] about More About Topinambours: Sunchoke Saag